


PBB: Science Fiction / Double Feature

by JDSampson



Category: Project Blue Book (TV)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt, F/M, Family Feels, Hollywood, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-15 22:38:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18678751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JDSampson/pseuds/JDSampson
Summary: Quinn and the whole Hynek family fly to Hollywood to meet with an old friend of Quinn's who is doing a scifi show about alien hunters! But someone has a grudge and the family vacation turns into an emotional wreck.





	1. The Hynek's Are Going to Hollywood

**Author's Note:**

> Years ago I started a mystery novel set in pre-war Hollywood. When I decided I wanted to send our heroes to Tinseltown, I thought it would be fun to have them meet up with the characters from my book. So please forgive my own indulgence as the Sally and Nick backstory in this story is from my - as yet unfinished - book. 
> 
> It's a bit more soap opera than I usually write but I hope you'll enjoy the more "slice of life" scenes (shall we dance?) and the interaction between Quinn and Mimi and Quinn and Joel. I've been wanting to explore these for some time. I don't think this will be everyone's cup of California orange juice, but I hope you'll give it a try. It's Quinn heavy to start, Hynek heavy later on. I hope you enjoy.

PBB: Science Fiction / Double Feature

_Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still_  
But he told us where we stand  
And Flash Gordon was there in silver underwear  
Claude Raines was the invisible man  
Then something went wrong for Fay Wray and King Kong  
They got caught in a celluloid jam  
Then at a deadly pace it came from outer space  
And this is how the message ran

“Who’s your favorite movie star?”

Allen Hynek had to think a moment, not so much about the question but why the question was being asked. He was sitting at his desk in the Blue Book office, having been there for the better part of an hour waiting for Quinn to return from his meeting with the Generals. He hadn’t planned on being in the office at all that week. Classes were wrapping up at the University. He had tests to grade and students to disappoint. In a few days, Joel would be out of school for the winter holidays and he had high hopes for an actual family vacation. First one since joining Blue Book.

The timing would have been perfect. Sightings had dropped some in the past few months, which meant fewer assignments. Fewer trips out of town. At first, Hynek had welcomed the slow down. Things had gotten a bit too hectic just before and after the Washington sightings. But in recent months, he’d become restless. Could it be that he actually missed chasing UFO stories? Or perhaps he simply missed the company of the young man he’d come to think of as his best friend and most trusted confidant.

Mimi had other words for Captain Michael Quinn. She had once referred to him as Allen’s mistress. As shocking as it was to hear, the symptoms were the same. Late night, whispered phone calls, secrets and lies, dashing off the second he called regardless of what was happening at home.

It was that last one that Hynek had hoped to make up for with the family vacation to Mount Rushmore.

Funny how normal life had become.

“Favorite movie star,” Quinn prompted, hip on the desk, cigarette in hand.

“Errol Flynn.”

“When was the last time you went to the movies? You know they talk now. They also have beautiful and exotic stars like Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, Rita Hayworth—”

“I’m aware. Why the sudden interest in the movies?”

“Because we’re going to Hollywood.” Quinn waggled his eyebrows as a slick smile crossed his lips. “Very special assignment that will not require us to traipse through a forest, drive 2 hours in a freezing car, or interview people while sucking in the smell of cow manure. We are going first class all the way.”

“I can’t go.”

Simple enough but it sounded wrong even to his ears. He’d never said no before, not since the first time when he said no to joining Quinn in Fargo after the Fuller incident. But Quinn had convinced him to change his mind then and he kind of wished Quinn would convince him to change his mind now. But leaving with Quinn instead of on the family vacation would be bad enough. But going to sunny Hollywood with Quinn, leaving his star-struck wife behind in freezing cold Ohio would be grounds for divorce.

Quinn didn’t seem fazed by the negative response. “I thought you’d say that.” He pointed with his cigarette and winked. “You’ve got that trip to see the heads in the mountain all planned out.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out two airplane tickets. “But I think. . .“ Like a magician performing a trick, he reached in again and pulled out a third ticket. “Mimi would rather spend her vacation hobnobbing with movie stars poolside.”

“I’m sure she’d have a better time in Hollywood but—”

Quinn reached into his jacket and pulled out ticket number four. “Joel?”

Hynek felt a rare rush of excitement then reality and past experience burst the balloon. “You’re suggesting we take my wife and son with us on a case?”

Quinn hopped off the desk then went around to sit behind it. “This isn’t so much a case. It’s more public relations. I got a call from an old friend, Terry Gillis – he’s a hot shot producer in Hollywood but back in the war he was running the USO tour.” He leaned back and put his feet up on the desk, a dreamy smile crossed his face as cigarette smoke circled his head. “What a tour that was – Sally Tremaine and Kate Morgan – singing and dancing their way across Europe.” He side-glanced at Hynek. “I had it bad for Kate, so I pulled some strings and got myself assigned to fighter escort duty every time they went up in the air. Gotta keep our movie stars safe behind enemy lines, right?” He took another drag on the cigarette and leaned even further back in his chair. “Mmm. . . war isn’t always hell.”

This was slightly uncomfortable to watch. “Do you need some private time?”

Quinn pulled his feet down, sat up and turned his chair to the proper position in one smooth move. “You have NO idea how badly. But not here and now. When we get to Hollywood. You are coming with me, right?”

Hynek almost answered then realized Quinn had never filled in the most important piece of information. “You strayed. Terry Gillis, hot shot producer. . . “

“Oh right. How could I forget the best part. Terry’s working on a new television program about. . . get this. . . an Air Force Captain and his egg-head partner who investigate UFO sightings and alien encounters.”

“They’re making a television series about us?” Hynek was sure he’d heard wrong.

“Well, they’re going with ‘inspired by’ to avoid getting shut down by the Air Force.”

“And the Generals still agreed to let us go?”

“They insisted. Good publicity and another chance for us to impress upon the public that there’s no reason to panic. We pose with a guy in a rubber monster suit. Show that the UFO’s are just miniatures and spend the rest of the week living like celebrities in a fancy hotel.” Quinn grinned and it lit up his whole face but it only lasted a moment. “I’m smiling, why are you not smiling?”

Hynek shrugged.

“I know,” Quinn said, lightly pounding his fist on his desk. “You’re looking for the catch. I’m telling you, there is no catch. With all the muck we’ve mired through, we deserve this one.”

“Muck we’ve. . .” Hynek let that turn of a phrase go. He picked up a pencil and began tapping it against his other hand. “And you have no problem standing up in front of the American public and saying it’s all just fiction. Just rubber monsters and scary fun?”

Quinn’s eyebrows dipped to meet in the middle of his forehead. “No, because this is the one time, we won’t be lying. This IS just a television show. It is rubber monsters and scary fun.”

Hynek leaned back in his chair, pencil between his lips for a few seconds. “I think I’ve forgotten what truth sounds like.”

“You’re over thinking this. This is a gimmee.” Quinn got up, went around his desk and laid the three airline tickets out in a fan shape on Allen’s mess of a desk.

Still not convinced. “And the Generals actually okay’d my bringing Mimi and Joel along.”

“They were happy to indulge.” After Quinn told them that it was Mimi Hynek who had convinced her husband to turn in his resignation a few months ago. “And I’ll make you another promise. After we’ve done our bit, I’ll take Joel sightseeing with me so you and the Mrs. can have a second honeymoon. Go sightseeing yourselves, check out the movie stars’ homes, secluded rendezvous for dinner, whatever you want.”

“You’re going to babysit Joel.”

“I know it’s hard to believe, but it wasn’t that long ago that I was a ten year-old boy. Unlike you, who was born over 40.”

Allen made a face at him. “It’s a generous offer and Mimi. . .”  It hit him. “Oh, I see, this is a bribe to keep my wife from pressuring me to quit Blue Book. You think if you ply her with a trip to sunny California, a fancy hotel and movie stars, she’ll see there are perks to the job and stop pushing me to leave.”

Quinn shrugged. “Call that a bonus. Look, it’s a win-win for everyone. You get an all-expenses paid family vacation. The Generals get a win in the public eye and I get to pal around with my old buddy and spend a little time with my favorite USO songbird. Win. Win. Win.”

Win. Win. Win.

Now all he had to do was convince his wife that this was a ‘gimmee’ and not a Project Blue Book ploy.

 

#  #  #

Mimi was ironing when Allen got home. He was going to walk over and kiss her hello, but she had a look on her face and a hot iron in her hand so thought he better not chance it.

“Go ahead,” she said her voice a mass of almost-tears mixed with anger. “Tell me that you’re leaving but you can’t say where and sorry about the vacation. Blue Book comes first.” She set the iron upright and crossed her arms over her chest. “I just thought, this ONE time you could put your _family_ first. Just this ONCE. Your son was so looking forward to this trip. He checked books out of the library so he could study the route and has been making notes on the places he wants to see and the things he wanted to do with his FATHER. You’re going to have to break it to him. I don’t have the heart to tell him. This one’s on you.”

Ouch. He was fairly sure she’d be pleased with the change in plans as long as she’d allow him to explain everything before clocking him with the iron.

“Why don’t you turn that off and come into the living room.”

Her mouth dropped open and actual tears welled up in her eyes. “Oh Allen! Really? I had this tiny bit of hope that if I said it out loud it wouldn’t be true. That you’d say, ‘don’t be silly honey, I just had to fill out some paperwork, I’m done with that place for the next two weeks’. I can’t believe I expected things to change. I’m so stupid.”

“You’re not stupid and you’re not giving me a chance. Please, turn off the iron and listen to me. Yes, I want to talk to you about a change in plans, but I swear, it’s not what you’re thinking.”

“Really?” She switched off the iron then joined him in the living room. She was pretty as a picture in a blue plaid dress with the cutest yellow frilly apron around her waist with just the slightest smear of chocolate on the front from the cake she’d baked. (He could still smell it). If only she didn’t have that murderous glare in her eyes. He took her hand and led her to the couch, a lamb leading the wolf to his own slaughter.

“So Captain Quinn didn’t hand you a new case just now?”  
  
“Well, sort of.”

“Oh Allen!” Again, with the oh Allen. He needed to talk faster.

“It’s not a case, but it is a trip. A marvelous trip.” He pulled the tickets out of his inside jacket pocket and handed them to her. “We’re going to Hollywood. All of us. The three of us. . . and Quinn. He’s got this friend from the war who’s making a TV show about us. . . sort of. . . but it’s science fiction. . .and he wants to talk with us. Have us do some publicity and. . . “ She wasn’t saying anything so he feared he was losing her. Too much Blue Book talk. Need something more personal. “Sally Tremaine. I remember we saw a couple of her pictures when we were first going out.”

“You remember that?” Mimi glanced down at the tickets and then back up to her husband. She had the same suspicious look on her face that he’d had when the Captain had first broached the subject.

“Of course, I remember that. You used to talk about her all the time. You tried wearing your hair like she did.”

“You remember that?”

She was softening. Keep going. “It was lovely, but I like your hair better this way.”

Mimi sighed wistfully, a far-off memory bringing tears to her eyes. “I still can’t believe what happened to her. That man who cut her face, killed Freddy. She was the never the same again.”

Allen had no idea what she was going on about, but he did know that the conversation was headed in the wrong direction. What else? What else?

“You’re going to get to meet her. Quinn knows her from when she used to the USO shows. Her and. . . Kathy. . . “

“Kate?” Mimi popped a little on the couch then grabbed her husband’s hands. “Kate Morgan? She and Sally have been best friends since they did The Valentine Girls together! Oh, I love that movie. Quinn really knows Kate Morgan?”

“I think they had a thing.”

“A thing? You mean they dated?”

“Well, it was during the war, so I don’t know if you’d call it dating. But the way he looked when he talked about her. . . “

Mimi sighed with her whole body. “That’s so romantic. They fell in love during the war and he’s been pining for her ever since.”

Why not?

Mimi dropped his hands. “You used to be romantic. I know we’ve been married for a long time but even wives deserve to be romanced now and then.”

Oh boy. . . trouble on track 9. “Then this is perfect. This trip to Hollywood can be like a second honeymoon.”

“We never had a first honeymoon. You left for a lecture tour the day after the wedding.”

Can’t catch a break.

“So, this will be our FIRST honeymoon. First class hotel, fine dining, moonlit walk on the beach while everyone around here is bundling up to stave off the chill.” He moved in closer and risked a kiss. “We can pretend we’re newlyweds.”

“Oh Allen.” But this was a good ‘oh Allen’. Tears streamed down Mimi’s face as she returned the kiss. They broke apart just as Joel came through the door.

“Mom?”

“Don’t worry, son. They’re happy tears.”

It was Joel’s turn to look suspicious. “She doesn’t look happy.”

“I am!” Mimi waved the tickets in the air. “Because the Hyneks are going to Hollywood.”


	2. Wives, Sons and Girlfriends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hynek's and Quinn arrive in Hollywood and it's time for a real vacation! More character interplay that I hope you'll find fun. Hot stuff coming up! 
> 
> “Mimi – can I call you Mimi, we’ve never actually established if that’s okay or not.”
> 
> “Of course, I can’t have you calling me Mrs. Hynek the whole trip. Mimi is fine.”
> 
> “You got her now,” Joel muttered softly, and Quinn had to fight to keep the smile off his lips.

Quinn got a smile out of the spit and polish family that met him at the airport. The Professor was dressed in a darker suit than usual with a particularly loud purple paisley tie. Mimi was dressed in a tailored tweed suit with white gloves and a pill box hat. Even Joel was in his Sunday best – sharply creased trousers with a tweed suit coat to match his mother and a tie that was much more sedate than his dad’s.

Quinn was in his dress uniform mostly because he liked the attention it got him from stewardesses. This was going to be one crazy adventure.

Mimi and Joel were wide-eyed and impressed by the entire airport show and they both nearly exploded with glee when they saw the first-class seating arrangements. Allen, on the other hand, was his usual distracted self, more concerned with the time and details than the experience.

There were two seats on either side of the aisle. Mimi was content to sit beside her son, giving the men an opportunity to talk during the flight, but Quinn insisted that she sit beside her husband, instead.

“It’ll give Joel and I chance to get to know each other better,” Quinn said with that eye crinkling smile that rarely left him wanting. “Besides, you’re supposed to be newlyweds on this trip.” He gave Mimi a little wink. She blushed and giggled like a school girl. Behind her, Allen rolled his eyes.

They settled in while the stewardesses made the requisite fuss over all of them. How lovely was Mimi and how cute was Joel, and Air Force Captain – good to know there’s another pilot on board if we should need one. Wink. Wink.

When it was finally time to taxi, Quinn went to reach for a cigarette only to find a small hand clutching his arm on the rest between the seats.

Quinn leaned left and down to get closer to Joel. “First time on a plane?”

The boy nodded, absolutely mute with fear.

“It’s loud, I know and right now it feels all vibratie and bumpy, but once we’re in the air it’ll be just like sitting on the couch at home. Only here, you’ll have pretty ladies bringing you drinks and snacks.”

Not getting through.

Quinn leaned in even closer while he squeezed the boy’s hand. “It’s perfectly safe. I promise. I’m a pilot, so I know. If I’m not worried, there’s no reason for you to worry.”

“I’m not worried,” Joel pushed out. “Did you think I was worried?”

“I think that even I get scared sometimes when I have to do something new. We’re going to have fun, you and me. That is, if you want to hang out with me when we get to Hollywood.”

That did it.

Joel loosened his grip and turned to face Quinn who was sitting upright again.

“For real? You and me?”

“You and me, buddy. And you know what else I was thinking? I’m going to be all alone in my hotel room, so I thought you could come bunk with me. Let your mom and dad have some alone time.”

Joel grimaced. “They’ve been acting weird ever since my Dad said we were going to Hollywood instead of Mount Rushmore. All lovey and sweet. It’s disgusting.”

Quinn laughed. Now that his arm was free he pulled out a cigarette. Instantly a stewardess appeared to light it for him. Then she bent over him to ‘check Joel’s seatbelt’. Quinn enjoyed the view and his eyes followed as the young woman stood then moved forward toward her takeoff seat. That’s when he noticed Mimi Hynek was looking his way. Just checking on her son, Quinn thought but when he met her gaze, he realized that wasn’t the case at all. She was watching him.

Good thing or a bad thing. He couldn’t tell.

 

# # #

If Mimi Hynek was ecstatic over the plane ride, there were no words left in the English language to describe her reaction to the Beverly Hills Hotel – aka The Pink Palace. She walked around the room, touching every piece of furniture, lamp and luxury accessory switching back and forth between giddy giggles and overwhelmed with tears.

“She’s going to do this the whole trip, isn’t she?” Joel complained.

Hynek and Quinn answered as one with a “Uh huh.”

Joel made a choking sound then followed the bellboy through the weird double door in the middle of the wall. “Why are there two doors?”

“One for each side,” Quinn explained. “So the person in either room can lock the other person out.”

“Sounds good to me,” Joel said, “especially with the way they’ve been acting lately.” He nodded back toward his parents who were love birding it at the moment.

Hmm, Quinn was used to traveling with Hynek alone so this new level of family logistics was going to take some getting used to.

He followed Joel into the adjoining room. The bellboy had their bags set up on a luggage rack and was standing around waiting for a tip. Quinn obliged, handing the young man more than enough to cover both rooms – expense account, so why not be generous.

“Thank you, sir! If there’s anything you need. Anything at all, I’m Randall and I’m at your service.”

The bellhop left and Joel hopped on the far bed. Actually hopped, on two feet jumping up and down. Looked like fun, but Quinn didn’t think he could get away with trying it himself.

“Joel! Stop that right now!” Mom.

He lifted his legs and landed on his backside.

“Vacation or not, I won’t tolerate any misbehavior. You know better than to jump on the bed. This isn’t a playground. Now come on and let Captain Quinn settle in. I’m sure he’s had enough of you.”

Joel’s face fell and he looked to Quinn for confirmation that this wasn’t true.

“Mimi – can I call you Mimi, we’ve never actually established if that’s okay or not.”

“Of course, I can’t have you calling me Mrs. Hynek the whole trip. Mimi is fine.”

“You got her now,” Joel muttered softly, and Quinn had to fight to keep the smile off his lips.

“I was thinking, since there are only two beds in your room and I have an empty bed in my room, why not let Joel stay over here with me?”

“Please, mom, please?” Joel ran to her using his best ‘I’m your only son and I know how much you love me’ act. “I promise to be extra good. I won’t jump on the bed and I won’t bother Captain Quinn when he’s busy and I won’t bug him, I promise. Please, please, please.”

“That’s a lot of pleases,” Allen said joining them just this side of the double doors. “If the Captain doesn’t mind, it’s fine with me.”

“He doesn’t mind,” said Joel. “It was his idea. I swear.”

“Alright, but don’t swear,” said Mimi. “Go unpack your things and wash up.”

“How am I dirty? I’ve been on an airplane?”

Mimi finished the discussion with a look and a finger. Joel knew when he was beat. He went to unpack.

“Hey, Doc. I’m going to call the studio and see if Terry wants to meet today. We gained three hours, so it’s still early enough.” Leaving the adjoining doors open, Quinn sat down on the side of the bed and picked up the phone. “Unpack for me, too,” he said to Joel and received a salute and a snappy ‘yes, sir’ from the little boy.

“Outside line, please,” he said into the phone, cradling the handset against his neck as he fished out a cigarette. “Monument Studios.” He lit the cigarette, eyes following the mini-Hynek as he organized their clothes in drawers and on hangers and delivered toiletries to the bathroom. Must be mom’s influence. The Professor would happily live out of his suitcase. Creases were of no concern.

“Michael Quinn for Terry Gillis.” Another voice, another drop into silence as the call was moved on down the line.

Kids.

He’d thought about having them, of course. Two or three – as long as it took to get one of each. But the longer he spent in the military, the more that image of his future life had faded. There were plenty of families in the military, but it was tough on the kids. Always moving around, new schools, new friends. Maybe once he got that post in Washington. . . but even that image of his future life had faded, too.

Blue Book had changed everything.

Just like the war had changed everything.

Kate.

He took a long drag on the cigarette as her face came to mind.

A female voice on the line. “Captain Quinn, I’m Mr. Gillis’ secretary. He’s not available right now but said to tell you that you should relax after your long trip and he’ll meet you in the morning. Around 10? You and Doctor Hynek.”

“Yes, and ten is fine.”

“Excellent. I understand you’re at the Beverly Hills Hotel? I’ll send a car for you at 9:30. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The picture of efficiency. Quinn hung up the phone but his hand lingered as he thought about calling the studio again, asking to speak to Kate. If she was at the studio, she was probably working. She was co-starring in Terry’s new show. Couldn’t just have two men hunting aliens without a femme fatale. Terry never did say what part she was playing. And now he was curious. . .

He swung his legs up on the bed and leaned back against the headboard. His eyes briefly landing on the open adjoining door. Maybe Kate was playing the wife of the egg-head character. Mimi was out of Hynek’s league so casting a raven-haired beauty like Kate in the matching role would be spot on.

Quinn let his eyes close for a moment as he enjoyed the smoke. Light giggles came from the next room and another sound.

“Oh please,” Joel complained. Then Quinn heard two doors close.

He was drifting pleasantly with Kate on his mind, so he didn’t bother opening his eyes to see.

The bed bounced slightly, and he felt a small body sit down next to him.

“They’re going to drive me crazy.”

Quinn laughed out loud and it felt so good.

Everything felt good and he was determined to enjoy it while it lasted.

 

#   #  #

With the rest of the day free, they decided to visit the most iconic location in all of Hollywood; Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Mimi and Joel ran around testing their hands against the hands of dozens of celebrities – mostly notably and most recently Miss Marilyn Monroe. Allen was pressured to measure his hands against that of John Wayne and Clark Gable. When asked why he wasn’t joining in, Quinn agreed and put his hands in the handprints of Ava Gardner.

“That’s not how it works,” Joel complained.  
  
“Hey, she touched that cement. I touched that cement. Works for me.”

Joel didn’t get the joke and Mimi didn’t appear to appreciate it. Allen laughed. Can’t win ‘em all.

They picked up maps and tourist brochures and spent dinner making a list of all the places they wanted to see and the things they wanted to do.

Mimi wanted to take a tour of the movie stars homes. Allen suggested she and Joel take the tour the next day while he and Quinn were at the studio. Joel declared it boring and didn’t relent until Quinn promised to take him to the beach the day after.

Yes, the logistics of travel with a family was trickier than trying to get witnesses to admit what they saw wasn’t really a flying saucer.

The long trip, the excitement and the time change crept up on all of them unexpectedly, so they headed back to the hotel after the early dinner ready to call it a night.

Back at the hotel, Mimi fussed over Joel, insisting on laying out his pajamas and double checking that he had brushed his teeth and washed behind his ears. Quinn watched it all from his favorite position, spread out on the bed with a cigarette in hand. He would have liked to have a Bourbon to go with it but there’d be time enough for drinks with his old friends tomorrow.

“If you need anything,” Mimi said as she tucked Joel into the far bed. “I’m right next door. I’ll leave the connecting door unlocked so you can come over to our side if you need to.”

Because I’m irresponsible and can’t handle any ‘emergency’ that might come up during the night, Quinn thought but he kept it to himself.

Mimi kissed her son goodnight, then wished Quinn a good night as well. ‘What? No kiss?’ He kept that thought to himself, too.

As soon as she was gone, Joel rolled over in bed to face him and said, “did your mother baby you when you were my age?”

Quinn had to think about that. In spite of him telling Hynek that he’d been ten once, he didn’t have a lot of memories of those days. Childhood wasn’t something he liked to think about. Not that it was horrible or anything, he just preferred moving forward in life.

“All moms baby their kids. She’s going to be treating you like that even after you have kids of your own.”

“I’m never having kids,” Joel declared firmly.

“Really? Why not?”

“Because to have kids, you have to marry a girl!”

Quinn laughed softly. “Your mom will never change, but I promise you, that attitude of yours will. Now go to sleep.”

Joel rolled again away from the light shining on the bedside table between them. Quinn planned to finish his cigarette then get himself ready for bed but before the final puff, the phone rang. He expected it to be The Professor with some urgent – not at all urgent – question that had to be answered before he could sleep.

It wasn’t.

“Michael?”

It was a woman.

“Kate?”

“I hope I’m not calling too late. I just got home. I tried calling the hotel earlier but you weren’t in.”

“Grauman’s Chinese.”

“Don’t tell me, you put your hands in Marilyn Monroe’s handprints.”

“Ava Gardner. Gentlemen may prefer blondes, but I like mine brunette.” Then he remembered Joel. Winced a little and lowered his voice. “Am I going to see you tomorrow?”

“Of course. Terry said you’re coming by the studio to talk about the new show, take publicity photos. I’ll be there.” Quinn rolled away from the other bed, stretching the phone cord across his shoulder.

“This show, what part are you playing? The wife?”

“Oh gosh no. I’m the alien queen who helps our heroes fight off the invaders from Mars. Didn’t that happen to you just last week?”

Quinn laughed and then she laughed and it gave him a tingle that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. “No, no alien queens just yet. God, it’s good to hear your voice. . . and not just on my television set. Every time I see a movie with you or Sally it’s. . . surreal. Like maybe everything that happened in Spain was just another movie.”

“No, no. I remember every touch. Every kiss. All these years and still, when I close my eyes I can see your face and the way you’d look at me when we were making love. No one else has ever looked at me like that. I don’t have a word for it, but I remember it.”

Quinn shifted all too aware and all too uncomfortable with having this kind of conversation in this room right now. “I think we should save this for tomorrow.”

She laughed. “Why? Am I getting you all hot and bothered?”

“Yes and. .  . “

There was a pause. “Oh gosh, is there someone else in the room?”

“Yes.”

She giggled again and he was transported back to Spain, 1944. Trying to keep her quiet as the MP’s prowled past the plane. A man and a women together in the cockpit of a fighter jet – honest Sarge, I was teaching her how to fly. Well, that was kind of true. Just not in the mechanical sense.

“I should go anyway. I have an early call. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. By the way, I’ve gained 200 pounds, shaved my head and pierced my nose.”

“Won’t matter, you’ll still be beautiful to me. I’ll see you soon.”

“Oh, one more thing.”

He groaned, unable to take one more moment of her voice in his ear and her body in his mind.

“We’re having a party for you at the Bowery Club tomorrow night. Sally and Nick will be there. Bring Doctor Hynek and his wife, I want to meet them both.”

“They’ll like that. Well, Mimi Hynek will like that, she’s dying to meet you and Sally. Tomorrow.”

She blew a kiss through the phone before hanging up.

Yes, life at this very moment, was very, very good.

 


	3. A Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This includes the scene I've been wanting to write and some day hope to see. Quinn dancing with Mimi at a club (jealous Allen?) and then cutting a rug with his sweetheart. Yes - I warned you this was fluffy but don't worry, there's angst on the horizon.

“I don’t want to hear anymore of your bullshit excuses! Fix the fucking thing so we can shoot the goddamn scene and move on.”

The secretary gave Quinn and Hynek another embarrassed and apologetic look as her boss continued to rant and rave behind closed doors.

“Sounds rather high strung,” Allen whispered to Quinn as they waited.

“TV biz must be getting to him. He was always a happy-go-lucky guy when I knew him.”

Another round of threats and curses and then the door between the offices flew open and a well-chastised man ran for it while he had the chance.

Terry Gillis started to shout something at his secretary, saw the two men and his face instantly went from ‘about to explode’ to genuine joy. “Mickey Finn!” He ran over to Quinn and the two met with a handshake hug. “I didn’t know you were here. Sorry about that,” he nodded back toward his office. “Movie making was a breeze compared to TV. Hell, the war was easy compared to TV. The short timelines, the crappy budget, and I get stuck with all the washout crew guys who couldn’t make it to features. But hey, it’s Hollywood.”

Terry moved on to Hynek. “Professor, it’s an honor to meet you. I’ve been riveted by the news stories out of Project Blue Book. And the way you figure out a rational, scientific explanations for all the craziness, it’s amazing. Come on in,” He waved for them to follow him back into his office where they all settled on a couch and a side chair.

“Fair warning,” Terry continued, “our show isn’t as big on facts. We have to entertain so where you see experimental aircraft, we’ve got real UFOs and wait until you see our alien queen.”

“Kate,” said Quinn.

“Aw, she told you! I wanted to surprise you. Have you seen her in costume with her purple hair? Going to look major in the publicity shots. Such a shame we’re not airing in color. Ah, someday.” Terry turned to Hynek. “You know Mickey Finn here used to pay off base security to run air raid drills when the girls were around, just so he could hunker in a bunker with Kate. ‘I’ll protect you from the bombs when they fall’”

Quinn scoffed. “That is so not. . . exactly. . totally true.”

“Why do you call him Mickey Finn?” Hynek asked.

“Because he always put me to sleep with stories of his conquests. Michael Quinn – Mickey Finn.”

“This is the man I remember,” Quinn said. “Talk about exhausting.”

“Hey, if you’re standing still in this town, you’re moving backwards. I thought I’d take you over to the writer’s room, let them pick your brains for an hour or so, then we visit the set. We’re filming our take on that wild Flatwoods monster that turned out to be an owl in the tree. Only in our version, the tree is actually an alien whose roots are spreading out over an entire town slowly taking over the minds of everyone in it.”

“With roots?” said Allen, trying to make sense of the story. “I don’t understand how that would work.”

“It doesn’t have to work. It’s television. As long as it looks scary and our heroes are in danger, the audience will go along for the ride. Wait until you meet the actors who are playing you two. . well. . our version of you two. . .they don’t have a lot of experience, but they have heart. And when you see them together on film they have this. . . “

“Chemistry.” Kate.

Her hair was a little longer and a little darker with a touch of red in the dark brown curls. She also had more curve in her curves and a bit more lift in her bust. Hynek and Quinn both stood when she entered the room then Quinn met her half way. She threw her arms around his neck and lifted her legs as he whirled her in a circle.

When he set her back on her feet, he kissed her lingering a bit longer than proper with other eyes upon them but that first taste of her made it hard to stop. 5 years had passed and yet it was like they’d never parted. He stroked his fingers down her arms, then she caught his hands and leaned back for a better look.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Kate said. “I’ve been thinking a lot about our ‘encounters’ ever since Terry told me you were coming.” She pressed up against him and whispered, “maybe we can reenact them all while you’re here. We have a fighter jet mockup in one of the soundstages.”

Quinn’s body instantly recalled and reacted.

“Business before pleasure,” Terry said, butting in. “Wardrobe and makeup, sweetheart, so we can take some pictures for the press.”

Kate sighed. “One alien queen, coming up.” She walked her fingers up Quinn’s tie then drew a line down his lips. “See you later.”

Quinn watched her leave, partially for the view and partially because he wasn’t sure he could take a step without his legs turning to Jell-O. And there was the other, potentially embarrassing issue that would be gone in three (think about the Generals), two (think about paperwork), one (think about taking out the trash). Done.

He confidently turned back to his old friend and new friend. They were both way too amused for his liking.

 

#   #  #

They spent the next hour discussing their actual cases with the writing team. Hynek was particularly impressed with one young man who had an excellent grasp of the scientific concepts he was throwing at them. Quinn was drawn to the oldest writer in the bunch – a man with a long list of credits and a wild imagination.

Alien Queen transports our dashing pilot to her female-ruled home planet where he is forced to play her subservient consort on the annual mating day.

Nah, never get it by the censors.

From there, it was down to the set to watch them film. An interesting experience that had Hynek complaining about the lack of authenticity after almost every line.

“They call it science FICTION for a reason, doc.”

The two actors playing ‘them’ were doing the best they could with what they had. It wasn’t Dragnet but it was entertaining.

After that it was photos with Kate in her alien queen getup (which would certainly keep the male viewers tuning in) and with the tree monster. The man inside the tree monster suit had also played a monster in one of Joel’s favorite movies, so Hynek collected autographed pictures from him and one from Kate (for Mimi) before they finished their day talking to a couple of reporters.

“I think I’m ready to go back to our Blue Book cases,” Hynek said when they were in the car on the way back to the hotel. “At least there I can make sense of what’s going on!”

“Welcome to Hollywood. And don’t forget we have a dinner engagement tonight.”

“Mimi won’t let me forget. She raided my wallet this morning so she could buy a new dress and get her hair done for the occasion.”

“Poor Joel,” Quinn said, lighting up a cigarette. “Spending his vacation shopping and in the hair salon. He’s probably wishing for Mount Rushmore about now.”

Hynek shifted in the back seat so he could look at Quinn straight on and the Captain responded to the scrutiny by making a face at him.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Trying to figure out the endgame. I know you’re being exceptionally nice to Mimi so she won’t pressure me to quit Blue Book anymore.”

Quinn shrugged and smoked. “Partially true.”

“But I can’t decide if all the attention you’re giving Joel is also part of the plan or if it’s something else. He’s so excited about spending the day with you tomorrow but I’m sure you’d rather be spending the day with your old friends.”

“Why do I have to have an ulterior motive? Why can’t I just be the fun uncle?”

“The fun uncle?” Hynek repeated skeptically.

“Yeah. I don’t have any family around. The holidays are coming up. . . I just. . .“  Why was it so hard to admit. “I like being a part of your family. And I hope that Mimi will stop wishing I’d fall off a cliff.”

“She doesn’t. . . . well, not a cliff.”

Quinn twisted his lips to blow smoke away from Hynek. “Look, I get it. I drag you off at a moment’s notice. No word about where we’re going or how long we’ll be gone. Maybe it’s dangerous, maybe it’s not, it’s all the same to her. I understand.”

Hynek laughed slightly. “You know, she refers to you as my mistress.”

That made Quinn laugh out loud. “I can see that. But tonight, you are going to wine and dine and romance your dear wife so she agrees to take the pins out of the voodoo doll she has of me.”

“I like how romancing my own wife benefits you.”

“Again, I say, welcome to Hollywood.”

 

#   #  # 

The hotel sent up a television and a professional nanny to babysit Joel while his parents were gone. The nanny he wasn’t thrilled about but the prospect of watching TV all night with anything he wanted for dinner – in the room – sitting on the bed – had him pressing them all to leave already.

The men were dressed and waiting long before Mimi finally emerged from the bathroom. She was dressed in a jewel blue, curve hugging, strapless cocktail dress that left them all a little speechless.

“Mom?” Joel was the first to utter a word.

“Wow,” was Quinn’s word of choice.

“We’re late,” said Hynek and Quinn elbowed him and rolled his eyes when Mimi’s back was turned.

“Really? We’re late?” He harshly whispered in his friend’s ear.

“Well, we are!”

Quinn groaned. There was no getting through to this man.

Mimi kissed Joel goodbye, gave unnecessary instructions to the babysitter and was still at it when Allen caught her by the arm and pulled her from the room. Down the hall. Into the elevator.

Quinn stepped to the back while the Hynek’s remained in front of him. As soon as the doors closed, Allen slipped his arm around his wife’s waist and leaned in to say, “You look beautiful, Mimi. So beautiful, everyone’s going to assume you’re Quinn’s date instead of mine.”

She melted into him. “No, they won’t. The minute they see us together, they’ll know I belong to you.”

Finally! Quinn’s work was done. Now he could enjoy the night.

 

#  #  #

The Bowery Club was an intimate nightclub with a glitzy, jazz themed décor. There was a bandstand, a dance floor and two dozen tables in a half circle around that. It was already full-up when they arrived, and the place was alive with chatter, music and laughter.

So, so far away from war games in the woods and the Lubbock Lights.

The maître de led them to a table directly in front of the dance floor where two people were already seated – movie star Sally Tremaine and her private eye husband Nick DeFalco.

Just before the war, Sally had been at the top of her game along with her on-screen partner Freddy Jurgen. But a brutal attack at the premiere of their biggest movie changed all their lives forever. In the end, Freddy was dead and Sally was disfigured – two of Hollywood’s brightest stars wiped out in an instant.

After the incident, Sally became a recluse, too ashamed to show her face in public. Then, her dear friend Kate Morgan convinced her to join the USO. There she found her purpose in life, performing for soldiers who were dealing with their own wounds both physically and mentally. The war had literally saved her and in turn she had saved more than a few men who would have preferred a bullet over dealing with the scars of war.

On this occasion, Sally was wearing a heavy layer of movie makeup that almost hid the scars. Quinn could taste it on her when he kissed her on the cheek. There were introductions all around then Mimi became a blithering idiot for several minutes while she rattled off her thoughts on every one of Sally’s movies.

“My wife is fan,” Allen said, as if that wasn’t obvious enough. But Sally happily absorbed it all then invited Mimi to sit beside her so they could chat more. Drinks were ordered and delivered. Cigarettes were lit and finally Quinn couldn’t stand it anymore.   
  
“Where’s Kate?” He asked.

“Oh, she’ll be here soon. She’s performing tonight in your honor,” said Sally.

“Kate’s going to sing?” This from Nick who was half way to throwing back a Gin and Tonic. “She hasn’t done that in a long time.”

“I know,” Sally turned back to Quinn. “She’s been like a different person since she heard you were coming.”

“The other way around,” said Nick. “She was a different person until she heard you were coming.”

“I’m confused,” Quinn took a swig of his martini and when he brought his hand down to the table, Sally reached across and set her hand over his.

“She’s has a rough time this past year. Not a lot of work. Some personal issues. When Terry hired her for the show, I thought it was going to be the boost she needed but she and Terry haven’t been getting along very well and . . . it was great to see her get all excited again. To hear that she wanted to sing again.”

This wasn’t the backstory Quinn wanted to hear. His perfect little songbird losing her voice in Hollywood.

Then she was there, on stage, just like she was the first time he saw her on a make-shift, rickety stage illuminated by military flood lights in a small country town in Spain.

The audience applauded and a few men whistled. “You’re all very sweet, thank you.” Kate clutched the microphone on the stand, pulling it with her as she moved a little this way and a little that. “I have some special friends visiting tonight so thought I’d celebrate with some of my favorite old songs. We’re going to start with a slow one and don’t worry, Michael, we’ll have our turn on the dance floor, but for now, if the rest of you gentlemen will bring your ladies on to the floor, we’ll get this romance started.”

The band began to play “I’ll Be Seeing You.” Nick took Sally to the floor. Mimi turned to Allen expecting him to do the same, but he begged off.

“I may be good enough for the rec center in Ohio but here. . .I don’t think I can keep up.”

The depth of her disappointment made Quinn a little angry. The Doc’s awkward nature was often funny, and some might find it cute. But right now, it was just aggravating. Quinn got to his feet, circled the table then held his hand out to Mimi Hynek.

“May I have this dance?”

Mimi gave her husband one more chance but when he didn’t immediately surrender, she allowed Quinn to take her in his arms. He held her close as he would any woman. Hand at the small of her back, other hand delicately holding hers, swaying gently to the music as they made their way around the floor.

On every half turn, Quinn could see Hynek getting more and more disturbed by the sight of his wife dancing with another man, so he pulled her closer, went cheek-to-cheek and finally got the reaction he wanted.

“May I cut in?”

About time. Quinn delivered Mimi to the arms of her husband then went back to the table to sit alone while the others completed that dance and then another. Not that he minded. He was enjoying the view – Kate on stage, singing in that sweet, save your soul voice that had played in his head time and time again. As the second song ended, the waiter came by with a bottle of champagne.

“Courtesy of Mr. Gillis. Who sends his regrets that he won’t be able to join you tonight.”

Quinn asked him to hold on opening the bottle because Sally and Kate were conferring on stage. Then Sally stepped up to the mic and Kate headed for the table. He stood, planning to meet her on the dance floor but she stopped him, a wicked grin on her face as she pushed off his suit coat.

“Right here? In front of everyone?”

“You’ll thank me in three minutes.”

Three minutes?

The band started playing, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. Oh no.

“Come on, Michael. Do you still remember how to Lindy?” Kate dragged him to the dance floor as the beat kicked in and he did his best to keep up with the pace of the song. Rough at first but then muscle memory took over and his body responded with all the right kicks, twists and a hip flip. By the time Sally slipped into the last chorus his legs and lungs were on fire.

And breathing. . . that was but a memory.

Michael stumbled back to the table and dropped into his seat, breathless and sweaty. “I didn’t know I was so out of shape.”

“That was amazing,” Mimi gushed, then clutched her husband’s arm.

“Don’t even think about it. I was ready to collapse after one slow dance. You try to get me to Lindy Hop and you’ll cashing in my life insurance policy.”

Everyone laughed and again Quinn was struck by normalness of it all. This is what people did in their off-hours. Couples went out dancing, shared a laugh, enjoyed each other’s company. But once they were back in Ohio, it would be evenings at home alone again with Blue Book preventing him from finding his one and only.

The waiter returned just then to uncork the champagne.

“Present from Terry,” Quinn explained.

“He’s not coming?” Kate asked and it seemed like more than idle curiosity.

“He sent his regrets.” Quinn leaned to his right and nuzzled in her hair, lips barely brushing her cheek. “That was fun, but I still want that slow dance.”

Their glasses were filled then Nick stood with his. “I’d like to propose a toast: to old friends, new friends, partners and lovers. May we all always have access to whichever we need at any point in our lives.”

“Very eloquent,” said Allen. Then they clinked glasses and sipped.

Quinn was leaning forward, elbows on the table and he felt Kate’s hand caress his back. It was warm and gentle, and it made him crave that same touch but against skin instead of shirt. Everyone at the table was talking back and forth but all he could hear was the sound of his own heart beating.

Then she was in his ear. “Why don’t we skip the dance and you take me home.”

He turned his head, chin bumping his own shoulder, thumb of his raised cigarette hand propped against his forehead. The look in her eyes held a need that he hadn’t seen or felt in a very long time. He wanted to take hold of her and kiss her right there in front of everyone. But not the sweet kiss they’d shared in the office. A deep, obsessive, eat up every ounce of you kind of kiss that wasn’t for public consumption.

Quinn finished his drink and tamped out his cigarette. “I hate to cut the night short, but Kate and I have some catching up to do.”

Nick made a suggestive sound and Sally smacked him on the shoulder.

To the Hynek’s he said, “you two should stay and enjoy the evening while the babysitter’s paid for.” He leaned over the table to give Sally a kiss on the cheek. “Hope I’ll get to see you again before I leave town.”

They all said another round of goodbyes, then he and Kate made their way through the crowd to the entrance where she remembered that her coat and purse were back stage. “I’ll only be a minute.”

Quinn turned to watch her go and found Mimi Hynek standing there with tears in her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

She nipped up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you. Michael. I haven’t been all that nice to you since Allen went to work for Blue Book and I apologize for that. This trip. This evening has been really, really special. And don’t think I haven’t noticed all of your attempts to get Allen to . . . respond.”

“The man does need a nudge now and then.”

“Yes, he does. So, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” That was all he was going to say but . . . “Mimi. When I recruited Allen for the project, I never even thought about what that might mean for you and Joel. I certainly never meant to put you in danger and I never intended to come between you and your husband. But I’m kind of attached to him now. I told him once that he made me a better man, and it’s true. And now I think you make him a better man. You keep him grounded and honest and then he passes that on to me. I guess what I’m saying is, if this is threesome is going to work, you should feel free to tell me when you’re angry at me. And I’ll try to do a better job of respecting the Hynek family boundaries.”

She smiled briefly but it wasn’t a happy smile. “It was never personal. It was always the job. But I appreciate your words and I’ll try to do a better job of respecting the Captain Quinn boundaries.” She touched his arm lightly, “I should get back. Have a nice night.”

“I will.”


	4. Just Like Old Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quinn "enjoys" himself but hey, it's Blue Book, so you know it can't be all fun and romance can it. . . there's a storm brewing. . .

Quinn drove Kate’s car home to her house in the Hollywood Hills. She sat tight against him the whole time, hands roaming over his chest, so lost in exploring he had to keep prompting her for directions.

Navigating the narrow, Hollywood streets was tough enough, but the added distraction of her long nails under his shirt made the drive positively dangerous, so he was grateful when she finally pointed out her driveway. Grateful for his own sake and for the sake of any Angelinos who might have wandered into their path.

He hopped out with the motor running to open the garage door. Kate slid fully behind the wheel and expertly piloted the wide car into another narrow space. Quinn followed her in, then pulled down the garage door as soon as she shut off the motor.

Kate climbed out of the car and slid straight into his arms. “I thought we’d never get here.”

“Same.” He wove his fingers through her thick curls, holding her still as he kissed her the way he’d been dying to kiss her since they first saw each other in the office. Her hands worked the back of his shirt loose, then caressed and kneaded and stroked the bare skin.

The urgency was real, but he didn’t want to do this up against the car in the garage.

“In,” was all he managed around her return kisses.

“Definitely,” was what she returned, and he suspected she was thinking further ahead than he was.

“Inside. The house. Let’s go in.” Quinn clarified and she giggled both girlish and sexy at the same time.

“Oh, that ‘in’. Yes, let’s.” She took him by the tie and led him into the house, through the kitchenette and into the living room. When she stopped at the couch, he had a moment of doubt that the night would end the way he expected – or hoped it would.

Couch was fine but. . .

Kate pushed him to sit then climbed on straddling his hips. The position pushed her snug, cocktail dress up into a bunch around her hips but she still managed to maneuver quite well.

“Let’s get you more comfortable.” She loosened and then removed his tie before going to work on his shirt buttons. He tried to help by undoing his own cufflinks, but it wasn’t easy with shaking hands. His jacket was still in the car, never replaced after the Lindy Hop and soon his shirt and undershirt were in a heap on the couch.

Kate slipped her hands behind his head and pressed her body close; still kissing, still touching.

He was doing quite a bit of touching of his own and in that exploration his fingers found the zipper pull on her dress. He gave it an experimental tug and when she didn’t object, he drew it all the way down to the small of her back. The dress gapped open, giving him access to a small amount of skin, but the way she was sitting the dress remained firmly in place in the front.

Damn. He wanted it off her. Wanted to be on her. And the way she riding his hips. . .

“Kate.” He caught her face in his hands and locked eyes. “I have to either leave right now or—”

“Stay,” she finished for him. “I want you to stay.”

That was all he needed to hear. He stood, taking her with him, then carried her to the bedroom. Minimal directions required to navigate the small bungalow. When he set her on her feet, she wiggled out of the tight dress. What was underneath was even more tantalizing than bare skin.

Red and black lace bra. Matching panties, garter belt and silk stockings.

He had to close his eyes and think paperwork just to keep from losing it then and there.

“You like? I bought it all special for you.” She did a turn and he wondered how she could still form actual coherent sentences when all he could manage was inarticulate moans.

He toed off his shoes, then moved to unbuckle his belt but she pushed his hands aside and made a seductive show out of the unbuckling, the unzipping and finally removing the last of his clothes.

Quinn wasn’t body shy, but it had been a long while since he’d been this open and vulnerable with a woman. It was thrilling, frightening and a little sad. So much time lost, decisions made, left turns instead of right.

“Don’t think,” she said, reading his face if not his mind. “Just do.” Kate laid down on top of the old patchwork quilt that covered her bed and beckoned him to join her. Quinn slid down beside her; head propped on one hand while the other traced a line around the lace of her lingerie.

She let him roam awhile, pulse quickening, heart pounding, muscles aching to be more involved. Then her hand wrapped around him and he almost lost it.

Damn. Not yet.

“Not yet.”

Kate wiggled and writhed beneath him, to get free of her panties, then she urged him to move on top of her. He was happy to oblige. He slipped in to her carefully at first, aware of his weight, his strength, his need but that didn’t suit her at all. She raked her nails across his back hard enough that it was sure to leave a mark, as she thrust her hips up to meet him.

If that was the way she wanted it. Careful and tender went out the window as he gave in to his baser instincts. Hard. Fast. Kisses that were nearly bites from both of them. He held back as long as he could, longer than he expected but then nature took over and left him with no choice but to let go. He stayed on top of her until there wasn’t anything left, then he rolled away, shaken to the core.

She glammed on to his side, still desperate for contact. He kissed her head where it was tucked under his chin and drew lazy circles on her back and arms as the after drop sapped the last of his strength.

“Michael,” she said softly.

“Kate,” he replied.

He didn’t understand what she said next because his brain was too buzzed to process. Enjoy now. Talk later.

They didn’t talk later. They simply snuggled close until they both fell asleep.

 

# # #

Quinn woke to the sensation of her mouth around him.

In spite of the way they’d spent the evening, it felt a little strange, a little wrong with the sunlight streaming through the window.

Sunlight.

He glanced at the clock on the bedside table. Nearly six. Damn.  Though he had planned to spend the night, he hadn’t planned on staying ALL night.

Only a little reluctantly, he took Kate by the shoulders and pulled her away from her task and up into his arms.

“Good morning,” she hit him with a dreamy stare that seemed like more than just sex and sleep.

“As nice as this is, I have to get back to the hotel.”

Her face fell and then she did, tight against his chest. “Don’t go. Not yet. Please stay a little longer.”

Not so sweet and sexy this time, more pleading than passion.

“I can’t. I should have gone back hours ago.”

“But I don’t have to be at the studio until this afternoon. We could spend the whole morning in bed together.”

Tempting but . . . He untangled himself from her and sat up. “I have a promise to keep. I’ll call the studio when I’m done, and we can meet for dinner.”

Kate got to her knees behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Michael, don’t.”

Okay, a little too needy.

He kissed the fingers on both her hands then stepped out of her embrace. “I’ve to go.” Quinn pulled on his pants, retrieved his socks, shoes and shirt. He didn’t bother with his under shirt. Lagging wasn’t going to make this easier.

“I should be free around 5. Okay?”

She didn’t answer. Just stood there still glazed and completely naked. She didn’t look sexy. In the harsh light of day, she looked broken. That pulled him back for another embrace. Another kiss. Bad move because she didn’t want to let go. She even hovered and touched as he ordered a cab.

“I’ll call you,” he said, trying to sound light and hopeful.

She mumbled something that sounded like ‘no you won’t’ but he wasn’t sure, so he let it go.

Quinn went outside to wait for the cab and spent that time thinking up a lie to tell a 10-year old that would explain why he hadn’t slept in his own bed.

 

#  #  #

“Dad.”

Allen woke up slowly to the sound of his son’s voice. His wife, on the other hand, was instantly alert, as mothers of young boys are apt to do when they hear their child in the night.

But it wasn’t night. Morning sunlight was filtering into the room from behind the sheer curtains.

“Joel? What’s the matter?”

The sound of Mimi’s voice brought Allen into full consciousness. He sat up in bed and found his son standing there, sleep still in his eyes.

“Someone called for Captain Quinn. The phone kept ringing, so I answered, but I don’t know where he is.”

It took another moment or two for all the bits of that sentence to register. Then Allen swung his legs over the side of the bed and glanced at the clock. 6:50. “He’s an earlier riser. Probably went out to get coffee. Nothing to worry about.”

Still sleepy, Joel turned to head back to the adjoining room, but stopped after trudging a few feet. “The maid makes the bed in a hotel, right?”

“That’s right,” said Mimi with the slightest laugh. “You get a whole week’s break from having to make your bed.”

“No,” he turned toward his mother, his face still a mass of worry and confusion. “Not me. Captain Quinn. His bed’s made already.”

Tired of the puzzle, Allen got up and went to the double door between the two rooms. One of the twins was the tangled mess of a little boy who tossed and turned a lot in his sleep. The other was sharp and pristine. One could say it was the bed of a well-trained, military man. Could bounce a quarter off it.

Allen gave his son’s hair a toss. “That’s our Captain. Neat and organized. Why don’t you get cleaned up and dressed. As soon as he’s back, we’ll get breakfast. Alright?”

Joel mumbled something that sounded like “alright” then went back into the room he was sharing with the pilot.

When he was out of earshot, Allen joined Mimi on the bed. “I don’t think he came back last night. That bed hasn’t been slept in.”

A smile lit up her face and a bit of a blush touched her cheeks. “Well, he is a grown man and Kate is awfully pretty.”

He actually hadn’t thought of that. Project Blue Book had conditioned him to automatically think the worst. Just then, he heard the door opening in the other room. Allen entered through the connecting door as Quinn came in the front. As soon as he saw Allen the Captain winced.

“Where have you been?” Allen harsh whispered, keeping his voice low even though Joel was in the bathroom with the water running.

“Would you believe I went out for a run?”

“In the clothes you were wearing last night? Yes, that’s believable.”

Quinn dropped down to his bed and took off his shoes. “I don’t know why I’m even coming up with a lie for your benefit. You know where I was.”

“But you are going to need a lie for my son who woke up all alone in the room you were supposed to be sharing with him.”

Again, Quinn winced. “Yeah, sorry about that. I hadn’t planned on being back this late. . . this early. . .I’m so tired. I need to sleep for like ten minutes.” He pulled off his shirt then rolled to lay down on his bed. Pants on, on top of the covers.

“Good lord!”

“What?” Quinn grumbled without lifting his head from the pillow.

Allen went to the dresser, found an undershirt then threw it at Quinn. “Put that on or you’re going to have more explaining to do.”

“What are you talking about?”

Another gasp. This one from Mimi.

“Your back,” said Allen. “Looks like you lost a fight with an alley cat.”

Quinn chuckled. “Kind of did.”

Allen wasn’t amused. “Shirt before my son sees you.”

Quinn sat up long enough to pull on the shirt then he flopped back down, face in the pillow. “Ten minutes and I’ll join you for breakfast.”

Joel came out of the bathroom, dressed and ready to greet the day. “There he is,” he declared, as if Quinn had simply been hiding behind the door the whole time.

Mimi took her son by the shoulders and steered him toward her room. “Captain Quinn was up late last night taking care of a sick friend. Let’s let him sleep.”

Allen almost left then turned back. “Don’t forget you’re supposed to take Joel to the beach today.”

“I didn’t forget. I’m going do it. I just need ten minutes.”

 

An hour later the phone woke him from a deep sleep.

“Captain Quinn, this is the front desk. Doctor Hynek said to tell you that he ordered breakfast for you and you should be in the dining room in fifteen minutes if you don’t want it to get cold.”

“Message received. Thank you.” Quinn hung up the phone then groaned and stretched and worked his neck. Muscles he hadn’t used in a while were complaining but getting there had been worth it. He dragged himself out of bed. Took a fast shower then shaved. He wasn’t hurrying for Hynek. He was hurrying for coffee and a cigarette. Food would be good, too but coffee was foremost in his mind.

He dressed casually in jeans and a dark t-shirt then went down to the hotel dining room. The timing was perfect. The waiter was just putting plates down and there was a pot of coffee on the table.

“How late did you stay at the club?” he asked the Hynek’s hoping to steer the conversation toward them as he lit a cigarette.

“We left around ten, I guess,” said Mimi. “It was a little strange at first, still sitting there with your friends and you gone, but Sally was just like a regular person.”

“Not an irregular person,” Joel mused as he spread jelly on his toast.

“I mean, not like a movie star. We talked about cooking and clothes and she asked about my hobbies. Oh! And I got a picture with her. She autographed it. My mother is never going to believe I spent the evening chatting with Sally Tremaine.”

“Sally’s a real sweetheart. Even with everything she’s been through,” said Quinn. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.” He was looking at Mimi, but his eye caught on two men entering the dining room. His brows dipped in question, causing Hynek to turn to see the cause.

Police and they were headed their way.

“Michael Quinn?” The older of the two men asked in a flat, authoritative, ‘I already know it’s you but have to ask’ voice.

“That’s me,” he responded, trying to keep it light.

“Please put the cigarette down, sir.”

He complied, not at all liking where this was heading.

Allen tried to chime in, but the same older cop cut him off. “Sir, if you could step outside with us.” The cop was standing behind Joel and he nodded down slightly. Don’t force us to make a scene in front of the boy was the message and Quinn got it.

“Of course,” He stood and went with them, noticing how they easily moved into flanking positions. Quinn had dealt with quite a few prisoners in his life, so he recognized the moves. What the hell was going on?

 

“Stay here,” Allen said to his wife then he followed Quinn and the officers out of the dining room. They turned a corner ahead of him and when he made it around, they were cuffing Quinn’s hands behind his back.   


“Michael Quinn, we have a warrant for your arrest.”

“This is ridiculous,” said Allen. “This man is a Captain in the US Air Force. I’m his partner and we’re here on government business.”

“And you think that entitles you to special treatment?”

“Usually it does,” Quinn said before thinking. The younger cop slapped him in the face.

“Hey!” Allen pushed his way between them as the cop warned Quinn to keep his ‘smart mouth shut’.

The older cop intervened but it wasn’t much of an upgrade. “Some people get the wrong idea about our movie stars. They see them on the screen so much, they think they know them and –”

“You messed with the wrong girl,” the younger one cut in.

“Are you talking about Kate Morgan?”

It was Hynek’s turn to the get the bad feeling. “Captain. Stop talking.”

“No. What am I being charged with?”

The older officer looked around. Even though they were in a side hall, they were starting to draw a crowd. “You really want to do this here? Fine. You’re being charged with assault. Miss Morgan filed a complaint this morning.”

Quinn moaned. “I knew she was acting weird. I—”

“Captain!” Hynek said, mimicking General Harding’s sharp tone. “Don’t say another word.”

“This is insane.” Then that bit of anger turned to something else. Quinn’s eyes softened as he looked to his friend and partner. “I didn’t hurt her.”

The pleading look in his eye would have been enough to sway Allen but either way he was going to speak the truth. “I know you didn’t. Just cooperate for now. I’ll get you a lawyer.”

Quinn nodded back toward the dining room, his expression growing more resigned and desperate by the minute. “I don’t want them to hear this. Mimi. . . Joel. . . damn. I promised to take him to the beach today.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make something up.” He was getting good at lying to his family. Then to the officers he said, “innocent until proven guilty.” False bravado, really because he remembered the scratches on Quinn’s back. Signs of a struggle, the cops would say. What a mess.

Allen gave his partner’s shoulder a squeeze – the only bit of comfort he could offer at the moment then watched as the cops took Quinn away.

His next clear thought was who to call for help. General Harding was top of the list. This wouldn’t sit well with the Air Force – one of their own being arrested by the local law. He was still considering this idea when he saw a familiar face enter the hotel lobby.

Nick DeFalco, Sally’s PI husband.

Nick spotted him and rushed over. “I saw the cops taking Quinn out of here. Damn, they were fast. I thought I’d have plenty of time to warn him.”

“You knew about this?”

“It’s a small town and this is big news. And Kate, of all people, the locals are protective of her. Maybe too protective.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means Quinn needs a good lawyer and fast. Have you got one?”

Allen shook his head. “No. Not out here. I was going to call the base back home—”

“Not a good idea.” Nick shoved his hands in his pockets, looked around like he suspected they were being watched. Maybe they were. Maybe Blue Book paranoia was contagious. “The cops around here, they’re mostly good guys. I used to be one of them, but they don’t like interference from the outside. Especially if it seems like you’re trying to out muscle them with a fancy out-of-town lawyer or the might of the military. I’ve got a guy. They know him, he knows them. It’s a big ask but trust me.”

Trust me. After a year plus with Blue Book, those words were hard to digest.

Nick saw the hesitation. “Look, I don’t know Quinn that well, but Sally says this is bullshit. Kate’s her best friend and even she doesn’t believe her. Whatever is going on. Whatever made her call the cops – I’ll figure it out. But right now, we gotta protect your boy. Lawyer up, then my guy will do what he can to get bail. I wouldn’t count on that happening today, though.”

Allen’s stomach rolled. “This is going to make the news?”

“It’s going to be the headline of the evening edition. It’s salacious. They like that word around here.”

A hundred questions and concepts ran through Allen’s head all at once and he fought to sort them out in the proper order. “I wanted to keep this from my wife and son at least for now, until we know more.”

“That’s going to be tough,” said Nick. “Look, Sally offered to give you guys a tour of the studio. Do it today. I’ll tell her to meet you there. She can steer your wife clear of the news at least for the afternoon. And it’ll give Sally something to keep her mind occupied, too. She’s been worried about Kate for awhile and this really threw her.”

“She knew Kate was trouble, but she let Quinn walk right into it?”

“Kate was so excited to see Quinn again, we all thought it was start of something good. He’s the last person we thought she’d hurt. She’s had problems, but this still doesn’t make sense.”

“Allen?”

He turned to see Mimi a few yards behind him with Joel at her side.

“Give me a couple minutes to make some calls,” said Nick. “Then I’ll drive you to the studio.”

Allen didn’t want to spend the day being a tourist but if he was going to find Kate it was a good place to start. He knew he shouldn’t but there was no way he was going to let this go without at least trying to talk to her.

“Allen, what’s going on?” Mimi asked, approaching now that Nick was gone. “Was that Sally’s husband?”

“Yes. Something’s come up. He’s helping Quinn with . . . a situation.” All so very vague and Mimi could see right through it. Allen turned his attention to his son. “The Captain had to leave unexpectedly. Blue Book business and he said he’s very sorry that he won’t be able to spend the day with you. But he’ll make it up to you. That’s a promise.”

“I understand,” Joel said when clearly he was hurt and disappointed.

Mimi pulled her son into a half hug, her eyes searching her husband’s face for some clue as to what was going on, or at least how serious it was.

“On the upside, we’re all going to visit a movie studio today. Sally’s going to give us a personal tour.”  
  
“A real movie studio?” Joel said, brightening up. “That’s neat. No one in my school has ever been to a real movie studio.”

Mimi cracked open her purse and fished around for a dollar bill. “Joel, sweetie, would you go to the newsstand over there and buy mommy a pack of gum. And you can buy a treat for yourself, too.”

“Sure.” Joel took the money and ran off.

“What is going on?” Mimi asked the moment the boy was out of range. “What did those police officers want with Captain Quinn?”

No more secrets. But this wasn’t his secret to tell. Not until he had to. “There was a situation. He needs to sort a few things out. It’s going to be fine.”

“He’s in trouble and we’re going sightseeing?”

“I need to talk some people and the studio is the best place to start.”

Mimi didn’t like it but she didn’t ask anymore questions, mainly because Joel was on his way back with her gum and a candy bar for himself.

Then Nick joined the group. “I talked to my friend and he’s going give Quinn a hand. My wife is now on her way to the studio and I have orders to drive the entire Hynek family over there to meet her.” He looked down at Joel. “Ready to spend the day with a movie star?”

Hopefully it would work out better for them than it had for Quinn.

 


	5. The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With everyone feeling the pressure over what happened to Quinn, Nick and Allen both try putting on a little pressure of their own. Why did Kate do this? The plot thickens. . .

Quinn see-sawed between utterly humiliated and royally pissed as he was fingerprinted, photographed and booked. Both emotions hit a high point when an officer lifted his shirt to photograph the scratches on his back. That made it look like she had fought him, like she wanted him to stop. And now he had to wonder if this had been her plan all along.  Urging him to get rough, the small bites and eventual bruises; god he was an idiot.

It was the why that plagued him. They hadn’t seen each other in five years and suddenly she hated him enough to accuse him of such a horrendous crime? It was too hard to reconcile the warm and sweet woman she’d been at the beginning of the evening with vindictive monster she’d become with the morning light. He’d missed something, but what?

He was tossed into a cell with three other men. Quinn used all of his non-verbal training to exude an air of danger and confidence that would keep them away from him – at least for a while. He sat down on the floor near the bars, pulled his legs up and rested his forearms on his knees. He was dying for a cigarette. Not likely he’d see one of those any time soon.

Hynek was working on getting him released, of that he was sure, but that damage was already done. And he’d made such progress with Mimi, now she was going to look at him differently. She was always going to wonder if he’d gone too far.

Had he? Had he missed the signals? Had he convinced himself that Kate wanted it just as badly as he did? No. Not with the way she’d greeted him at sunrise. Those weren’t the actions of a frightened woman. She had fought hard to keep him there, in her bed. Then he remembered her eyes. Glazed over, unfocused. . . not as confident and in control as she’d been the night before.

He muttered a curse word. Now that his brain was fully awake, he saw it for what it was. Drunk or drugs; either one might have pushed her to retaliate against his perceived rejection.

Oh boy, Quinn, you certainly can pick ‘em.

With his eyes wide open, he took a trip inside his head. No women. No family logistics. Alone in a cockpit high above the clouds. He concentrated until he could see all the instruments and feel the pressure of the climb. Details. Visualize every detail. It was how he had practiced for flight school exams and it was how he had occupied his mind during the worst days of the war.

They could lock him in a cage on the ground, but they couldn’t stop him from soaring in his head.

Quinn stayed up there among the clouds until a man who said he was his lawyer showed up and then he fell to Earth once more.

 

#  #  #

Nick dropped them just inside the studio gates where Sally was waiting by a small, motorized cart. Mimi and Joel ran over to greet her, but Allen circled around to the driver’s side window.

“Will you let me know how it went with the lawyer? And ask him if Quinn’s okay. The cops that arrested him, seemed like they wanted to give him a rough time.”

Nick nodded sympathetically. “From what I hear, he’s a tough cookie, more than you’d think with that pretty boy face.”

Hynek laughed slightly. “That’s true. I’ve seen him take charge of an angry mob with nothing but a look. He is tough and he’s smart. Smarter than he thinks he is. But his life is the Air Force and these accusations. . . they could ruin him.”

“I know. I’ve seen it happen to guys who deserved it and a couple who didn’t.” Nick glanced to his right out the passenger side window. “Your wife is calling and mine is giving me the ‘get outta heres’. Give me the afternoon to poke around. I’ll let you know what I come up with.”

Allen stepped back from the car. Nick waved to the girls then completed the circle that took him back out on to the city streets. Reality out there. Fantasy in here. If only Allen could leave one behind for even a few hours, it would really, really help.

 

#   #   #

Nick circled the block then drove back on to the lot, warning the guard not to mention his return to his wife. He turned left at the first soundstage and drove through the bustle of bodies until he saw aliens and spacecraft.

He parked the car then jogged upstairs to the second-floor offices. He strode past the secretary who couldn’t get off the phone in time to stop him and let himself into the inner sanctum.

Terry Gillis only looked mildly surprised to see him. “DeFalco. To what do I owe the honor?”

“You’re shooting today?” Nick dropped into a chair across from Terry and his desk.

“Every day. We’re two weeks behind schedule and I’ve got an air date to hit.”

“Still? I’m surprised. You have heard the news, right?”

“About Kate and Captain Quinn. Yeah, can you believe it? Here I thought he was a stand-up guy. Officer and a gentleman but I guess guys that like are used to taking what they want.” Terry opened a box of cigars and offered one to Nick. He accepted.

“Gonna be a big scandal. Bad press for him and the show.” Nick lit the cigar, then inhaled the smoke from the tip. Nice. “Can’t believe the network is going to move forward on a series based around a guy who forced himself on your leading lady.”

 “Let’s hope they don’t see it that way.”

“Here’s what I see,” Nick said, his voice a soft, deep monotone. “I see you flying head first through that window over there if you don’t stop pumping poison into Kate’s arm.”

Terry barely flinched but Nick caught the twitch.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Nick took a puff of his cigar. “And Quinn, he’s a nice kid and my wife is very attached to him, so if I find out you had something to do with the mess he’s in, I’ll be forced to take your broken body and run it through a meat grinder. Is that clear enough for you or do I need have some storyboards drawn up?”

“You’re a thug, DeFalco.”

Nick stood and Terry flinched. “I’m a man with an unhappy wife, Gillis. And there’s nothing that motivates a husband more than trying to please an unhappy wife.” He left the office secure in the knowledge that he had rattled Terry’s cage like good old Los Angeles earthquake.

 

#  #  #

Sally piloted the cart down the streets of faux buildings then rounded the corner into the old West. It was an incongruous sight; cowboys on horseback next to modern lights and cameras.

“It’s a new Randall Ames picture. Do you like him?” Sally asked and Joel nodded, too starstruck to speak words. “We can watch them film for a bit just remember to be absolutely quiet when the cameras roll.” She led Joel and Mimi to a couple of folding chairs, then beckoned for Allen to follow her away from the crew and into an empty skeleton of a building.  

“I can’t tell you how upset and sorry I am about this whole thing. I don’t know what’s gotten into Kate. Why she would lash out at Michael like that.”

“You haven’t seen Quinn in five years. People change. Things are different during a war. Why are you so sure he’s innocent?” Coming out of his own mouth, that sounded like doubt, but it was more his scientific method of making sense of things he didn’t understand.

“Because people do change. Kate’s not the person I knew even a couple of years ago. She’s in deep trouble. I don’t know . . . I don’t want to know the details and I guess that makes this partially my fault. I should have been there for her, but I couldn’t take on her pain. I thought it would go away if I pretended life was good but clearly I let her down and now Michael. . . .I couldn’t even look her in the eye when I saw her this morning.”

“You saw her? Here at the studio?”

“Yes. She might be shooting but I doubt it. More likely she’s hiding from the reporters.”

“Where can I find her?” Allen asked.

“That’s not a good idea. She’s not going to tell you she lied and if she does what good will it do? Women recant all the time and people figure she’s been coerced. They might let Michael go, but he’ll still be guilty in the eyes of the public.”

He didn’t want to hear that. They’d solved bigger mysteries than this. There had to be a way out for Quinn. “I have to try and if you don’t tell me how to find her, I’ll open every door on the lot.”

Sally sighed but gave him the directions.

“Tell my wife I went to make a call. Keep on with the tour.”

“There’s a commissary at the end of bungalow road. We’ll meet you there in an hour. Alright?”

“Thank you.” Allen dashed back out into the Western street, glanced quickly to see that his wife and son were still engaged, then headed in the opposite direction. Talking to Kate was probably the worst idea he’d ever come up with, but he couldn’t face Quinn without knowing he’d done all he could to free him.

 

#  #   #

After two wrong turns, Allen found Kate’s dressing room. He knocked on the door and was glad to hear a ‘come in’ rather than a ‘who is it’. Studio safe zone. She wasn’t worried about being ambushed. He opened the door slowly, not sure what to expect.

The interior of the bungalow was set up like a small living room with a couch and chairs and a bar on one side. On the other side was a large vanity table and that’s where Kate was sitting – staring at herself in the mirror. She didn’t turn to see who had come in, just adjusted her glance to catch the reflection.

“Doctor Holloway.” The name of his counterpart character on the TV show.

“Doctor Hynek,” he corrected. And now what? Why did you accuse my best friend of rape? Are you a liar or plain crazy?

She was swaying slightly. Hair a mess, eyes unfocused. He moved to her side and she turned away from the mirror, she over shot and almost fell out of her chair. Very unfocused. There was a half empty glass of dark liquid on the vanity. A sniff told him it was Bourbon. As he set the glass back down, he saw the bottles and the needle in the partially open vanity drawer. She slammed it shut.

“It wasn’t my idea to do that to him. He was trying to be gentle, to be romantic and I pushed him. I wasn’t going to go through with it, but I didn’t have a choice.”

“I don’t understand. Someone made you call the police?”

“Call the police?” She laughed lightly then stood on shaky legs. “They love me. They look out for me. Everybody wants to look out for me and yet. . . here I am!” She wandered to the bar, went behind it and pulled out a bottle. “Drink?”

“No.” Allen took it from her hands. “Who told you to report Quinn to the police?”

“Finn always wins, even when the odds are stacked against him.”

Finn? Again, the character from the show. Kate literally couldn’t tell truth from fiction which meant anything she said in this moment was suspect. This was a waste of time. Desperation and frustration quickly turned to anger when she reached for another bottle. He yanked this one away from her harder than he should have, and she responded by throwing a glass at his head. Her aim was poor, and he saw it coming so it missed but still it sent a spike of adrenaline through him that made him want to throttle the truth out of her.

“Michael is sitting in a jail cell because of your lies! He could go to prison. And if he doesn’t, his reputation will still be ruined. He’ll be kicked out of the Air Force. He’ll lose the one thing he loves more than anything in this world – his wings. And for what? Revenge? Were you angry because he didn’t run to you after the war? Or is this what you do for kicks? Lure men into your bed and then hang them out to dry?”

“Usually I’m the one left hanging. Back to their wives. Back to their jobs. Payment in full and off they go.” She lifted an empty glass and drank from it as if it were full. “Usually, I don’t care. But this time was different. I didn’t think it would be. I didn’t think I’d care but the way he looked at me, like I was someone special. . . and now I’ve wrecked everything.”

She found another bottle and this time he didn’t stop her. “Get some help, Miss Morgan. You need help.”

 

#   #  #

Allen killed the next quarter of an hour working his way through a pot of coffee in the commissary and barely touching the lunch the waiter delivered unasked. Several times he thought about getting up and going in search of his family, but he was too mentally worn out to stand. He kept thinking about Quinn. Hoping he was safe. Hoping he wasn’t panicking at the possibility of spending the next few years of his life in a 5 x 7 cell.

Then he saw Mimi coming toward him, frown on her face, a bit of paper tucked under her arm.

The newspaper, it turned out. She slapped it down open to the front page. Starlet Recovering After Terrifying Assault. Project Blue Book Front Man Under Arrest.

“Why didn’t you tell me? They arrested him? This is crazy.”

“I know, but Quinn asked me not to. He was afraid you might think--.”

“That he was guilty? Oh Allen,” She slipped into his arms and hugged him tight. “Whatever I may have said or thought about Captain Quinn, I know he would never hurt a woman. And not Kate. The way his face lit up when he saw her again. . . I don’t understand.”

“Welcome to the club.” Allen pulled out a chair for his wife. “Where’s Joel?”

“Getting ice cream with Sally. I knew something was wrong but this? I feel so bad that I was here enjoying myself while he was. . . he’s in jail?”

Allen explained all he knew, which wasn’t much. Nick, the lawyer, Kate.

“You talked to her? Oh Allen, that wasn’t a good idea. What if she starts making up stories about you, saying you bullied her into changing her story?”

“I thought if I could reason with her but she’s not well. I’m not sure she even understands what she did. And the oddest thing, she implied that someone else forced her to have Quinn arrested. If that’s true, who? Who would want to humiliate him this way?”

Mimi gazed off across the commissary where a purple alien was lunching with a cowboy. “Is it Blue Book? I try not to ask, but Allen, are there still people out there who want to stop you from investigating, from revealing the truth?”

“I imagine there are, but this is convoluted way to stop us. It would be simpler to put a bomb in our car.”

“Allen!”

Sometimes he forgot himself. “Sorry.”

“Allen.”

“I said sorry.” He reached for her hand and she turned back to him with wide eyes.

“Allen! If either one of you were killed, Blue Book would go on. The Air Force would assign a new Captain, a new you. And they’d be even more dedicated if they suspected you’d been murdered.”

“Mimi, now you’re scaring me.”

“No, listen.” She squeezed his hand and leaned in close. “The Air Force brought you in because they thought people would believe you. They’d trust you because of your reputation. Well, what if your reputation – or Captain Quinn’s reputation was tarnished? Would the public still listen to a man accused of an unspeakable act against a well-loved movie star? Blue Book would go on but ---”

“Guilt by association,” Allen finished her thought. “They’d have a hard time listening to anything coming out of Blue Book because they’d always associate it with the lies and not the truth. This is an assassination. A character assassination. Casting aspersions on Quinn and Blue Book by proxy.”

Mimi shivered though it wasn’t cold at all. “That’s. . .” she searched for the word.

“Insidious,” Allen supplied.  And yet not even close to the craziest thing he’d run into since joining Blue Book. Mimi and the rest of the world, still thought Secretary Fairchild died in an unfortunate accident. Still. . .

“We’re over reaching. Occam's razor.”

“Who?”

“Not who, it’s a scientific theory that states the simplest answer is more likely than the complex answer. This isn’t Blue Book. This is exactly what it looks like, a mentally unstable young woman lashing out after being rejected. Quinn left her – five years ago, last night – on the pages of her script, she called me by the name of the character in her show, she can’t tell reality from fiction anymore. He left her and she fought back because she was hurt. That is the simplest answer.”

And it was also the hardest to disprove because it came down to her word against his. “We need to find Sally and I need to talk to Nick.”

 

#   #  #

“I’m not going to bed! I’m not tired!” Joel grabbed the neatly tucked blanket and top sheet and yanked until it was half off the bed. “I want to wait for Captain Quinn to get back!” The pillows joined the blanket on the floor. “He’s coming back!”

Mimi grabbed her son by the arm and gave him a sharp swat on the behind. “The next one will be more than a swat if you don’t change your tone right now, young man.”

Allen decided to try reason instead of punishment. “Son, we told you. Captain Quinn had to go away for a couple of days, he’s not coming back tonight. Go to sleep and maybe you’ll see him tomorrow.”

“That’s not right!” Joel kicked the pillows, undeterred by his mother’s threat. “He said we were going to share the room. He said we were going to go to beach and spend time together! He lied to me! He’s a liar!”

Mimi made another grab for the boy, but he evaded by running over his bed and jumping down on the other side. “What has gotten into you!” She circled the bed, determined to spank some sense into him but Joel avoided again by running into his father’s arms.

“Enough,” said Allen, more for his wife than his child. Not being able to do anything but wait was crippling and though he thought they’d kept the news from Joel, his behavior indicated that he knew something was very wrong. Maybe pretending everything was fine wasn’t the best way to handle the situation.

Allen sat the boy down on the bed then stooped to be at his eye level. “Captain Quinn came out here to visit was some old friends. One of them, a lady friend that he’s very fond of is. . . sick.” Not really a lie. “She hasn’t been herself and Captain Quinn has been trying to help her. He feels terrible that he’s let you down, but believe me, he’d rather be here with you. He just can’t be right now. I’m hoping that by tomorrow, things will be set right again, and he’ll be back.”

Joel’s expression clouded over, and Allen expected a surly response, what he got instead surprised him. “When he went with the policemen, I thought he might not ever come back.”

Mimi gave a little sob then came to sit by her son. She wrapped one arm around his shoulders and clutched her husband’s hand where it rested on her son’s knee. For that moment, they were together, a family, and suddenly Allen felt the weight of what Quinn had said earlier. That he liked the idea of becoming part of the Hynek family. Clearly, he already was.

“He’ll be back,” said Mimi. “We won’t leave here until he’s back.” She kissed her son on the top of the head. “I’m sorry I was cross with you.”

Allen pushed up to standing then gave the boy’s hair a toss. “How about I stay in this room with you tonight?”

“Okay.” Joel got up and went around the beds to clean up the mess he’d made. Mimi helped while Allen fought the images that kept flitting through his mind. Quinn in a cell. No privacy. No cigarettes. (That had to be killing him) and no sleep because bad things could happen if you fell asleep.

It hadn’t even been 24 hours but it felt like 3-days. For Quinn, it must have felt like 3 weeks with no end in sight.


	6. Wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All will be revealed. . . .

“Captain Quinn!” Joel flew across the room and slammed into Quinn at full speed, hugging with unexpected ferocity.

“That’s quite a welcome.”

Allen came into the room through the adjoining door. He was half dressed, drawn over by the commotion. He had a hopeful look on his face that Quinn dashed by mouthing ‘bail’.

Joel unhooked his arms but kept leaning against Quinn. “Is it stupid if I say I missed you?”

“If it is, then I’m stupid, too. I missed you.” He clutched the boy’s shoulder and then stepped back to get a full view. He was dressed in swim trunks and a t-shirt. “Are you going to the pool? It’s cold.”

“Not for me, it’s not. You want to try it?”

He felt grubby and exhausted and he desperately needed a shave, but he’d disappointed the boy enough in the last few days. “You go on down and I’ll meet you after I’ve cleaned up and changed. Okay?”

“Really? For sure?” Once bitten.

“I won’t say I promise because that hasn’t worked out so well, but I’ll do my best.”

Mimi joined them. She was dressed in pedal pushers and short ruffled top. The most casual he’d ever seen her. She caught his eye and he saw something worse than the annoyance he usually found there. He saw pity and that hurt.

“We’ll see you down there.” She lightly squeezed his arm as she passed, then herded Joel out of the room in front of her.

As soon as they were gone, Quinn went to the dresser. “I need out of these clothes, right now.”

“Are you alright?”

“No, but I’m going to lie and sure, I’m dandy.” He picked out fresh underclothes, a short sleeve button up and pants. Dropped them on the bed then went into the bathroom. He didn’t close the door so Allen followed, hovering in the doorway.

“Are we going to talk about this?” He asked as Quinn laid out his shaving kit.  

“What’s to talk about? I’m out on bail. I can’t leave the city until God knows when. If you have to go back home on Friday, just go. I’ll be back when I get back. 10 to 20 if all goes well.”

“Stop that. You’re not going to prison.”

“Do you know something I don’t know?” Quinn stripped his shirt off, then started the shaving process.

“I know that Kate’s got problems. I talked to her –”

Quinn stopped with shaving foam all over his face. “You what? Should we start collecting the bail money for you, too?”

“She’s sorry and she says she only did it because someone forced her to.”

“We were the only two in the bedroom.” Quinn picked up a towel, threw it down, grabbed the razor.

“Could you be a little less angry with that blade near your throat?”

Quinn sucked in and let out an exaggerated breath. “Thank you for your help, by the way.” He paused during an upward stroke. Sighed then turned fully to look at Allen. “That came out sarcastic, but I mean it. The lawyer. The bail.”

“Thank Nick. He arranged for the lawyer and I don’t know who paid your bail, he didn’t ask me for the money.”

Quinn went back to shaving. He was calming down and with that came clarity. “She said someone forced her to accuse me of –” He couldn’t even say it out loud.

“I had a momentary theory that it was about Blue Book. Trying to discredit you in order to discredit our work but it doesn’t really track.”

“It feels personal.” Quinn stretched his neck and scraped away a day’s growth. “But you’ve met everyone I know out here. Nick and Sally – they’ve been the ones working to get me released, so that doesn’t make sense.”

“Terry Gillis,” Allen suggested.

“Except if I go down, he could lose the show. You think Jello-0 wants to sponsor a series inspired by the guy who raped the show’s female star?” Again, he paused mid-stroke. “I can’t believe I just said that out loud. It sounds worse than it does in my head.”

“So, we’re back to Kate.”

Quinn finished the job, then splashed handfuls of water over his face before toweling off. “I keep going over it and it’s ‘yes’ every time. I offered to leave. She said stay. She was the aggressor. And come on, what she was doing with her mouth when I work up—” He stopped the description because Allen was turning red. “Let’s just say, it was not the actions of a frightened, abused woman. The only thing. . . . “ Quinn got caught up in stripping down to his boxers.

“The only thing. . “ Allen prompted.

“There was something off about her in the morning. Like she was in a fog.”

“Drugs,” Allen said softly. “I got a glimpse of a needle in her vanity drawer and she was also drinking. I got the impression it wasn’t a new experience for her.”

“Oh god,” Quinn set his hands on the edge of the sink and lowered his head. “I knew it wasn’t. . . natural. Sally said Kate hasn’t been herself for a while. That she’d had a rough time of it this past year. I want to feel bad for her but she’s going to ruin my life and I don’t even know what I did.”

“Probably nothing. I could try talking to her again. Or maybe Mimi. Maybe another woman could get through.”

“No. Not now. I just need a day of ‘not this’. I’m going to take a shower and then I’m going to go hang around the pool with your son. He makes me laugh and right now, I need a laugh.”

Quinn turned on the shower and he heard the bathroom door close behind him. First unwatched, unguarded moment he’d had in the past 24 hours. God. If it came down to it, he wasn’t sure he could handle going back into a cell.

You made it out of Nazi Germany, kid. You’ll make it out of LA.

#  #  #

 

There were only a handful of hearty tourists sitting around the pool. It was sunny but only in the high 70’s. Cold by California standards, but positively tropical if you were from Ohio. Quinn settled himself on a lounge chair then lit up a cigarette. Joel was playing Marco Polo with two other kids in the pool. Mimi was chatting with another woman but stopped when she noticed Quinn.

“Would you mind keeping an eye on Joel for a few minutes. I need a sweater.”

“Be happy to. And take your time. Go for a walk with you husband. I’m just gonna sit here and soak up the sun.”

He could tell she wanted to say something more but it was awkward and personal, so she kept her thoughts to herself.

Quinn focused on his cigarette and the sound of the kids squealing and splashing; having fun. Joel called for his attention a few times, to show off his ability to swim backwards and how he could cannonball off the diving board.

He was just starting to relax when he felt the shift in the air. The other people around the pool were whispering, trying not to look or point. A celebrity had entered their midst.

Sally.

Quinn wanted to tell her to go away. He had nearly cleared his head and now she was back to remind of all that had gone wrong.

“Can we talk privately?”

Quinn laughed under his breath. “I think I’d rather stay out here with a dozen witnesses. Besides, I’m babysitting.” He nodded toward Joel.

Undaunted, Sally grabbed a pool chair and pulled it close to his lounge.

He felt his stomach rolling as he anticipated what was to come. Begging him to forgive Kate. Excuses for why she wasn’t responsible. There were tears in Sally’s eyes, so she was bringing in the big guns.

“Kate tried to kill herself this morning.”

Whoa. Not even close to what he expected. “Is she. . . ?”

“She’s in the hospital, but it’s not good. She started the car in the garage and sat there until she passed out. A neighbor heard the car running and opened the door, called for help.”

“Oh god,” Quinn sat up so he could wrap his arms around Sally. He felt her warm tears against his neck and the shudder of her body as she tried to quell the sobs.

They were attracting attention and as much as he hated feeling this way, Quinn felt the need to cut the embrace short and move away from any more public displays.

“Could it have been an accident?” Drunk, so she forgot to open the garage door?”

“No. She left a note. Several notes. There was a letter for the police admitting that she lied about you. She said it was a favor to pay back someone who had been paying off her habit.” Sally sucked in a breath. “Heroin. Nick knew. He said everyone in town knew except me.”

“And me.”

Sally opened her purse and pulled out a small envelope. “She wrote me a letter and she wrote one for you.” She offered it to him but he couldn’t touch it.

“Keep it.”

“No. You may not want to read it now, I get that. I couldn’t open mine right away, either. But you’ll want to read it, later. When all of this is done.”

He took the envelope, folded it so he wouldn’t see his name scrawled across the front in her hand, then shoved it in his pants pocket.

“Captain Quinn?” A bell boy. “There’s a call for you. A Mr. Grayson. He says it’s very important.”

“The lawyer,” said Quinn.

“Go take it. I’ll watch Joel. He and I are old friends now.”

Old friends. If it wasn’t Sally or Nick. And it wasn’t Kate alone. That only left one old friend unaccounted for.

Quinn took the call in the lobby.

“Good news, my boy. The charges have been dropped.”

“Because Kate tried to kill herself. I wouldn’t call that good news.”

“You were innocent and now you’re a free man. Take the win. I’ve got a friend at the LA Times, he’s going to run the suicide note to clear your name. It’s all over. Now you can enjoy the rest of your stay in sunny LA.”

Not quite but close.

#   #  #

 

“Mickey Finn!”

“Don’t.” Quinn warned, careful to keep the desk between himself and Terry so he didn’t rip the man’s head off. “You used me! Come to Hollywood you said. Enjoy yourself. Visit with your old friends and bring your buddy and his family along for the ride. Leave the lies and the mind games behind. Have fun, paley – and then you run me over with a truck! Why? You’re earning a living making a show about my god-damn life, for fuck’s sake and still you paint a target on my back? Why?”

The fake smile fell off Terry’s face. “Why? Let’s see? Because Quinn always wins. What, do you walk around with rabbit’s feet and horseshoes in your pockets? Every scrape, every oh shit moment – it never lands on you. It never has! I busted my ass running that tour during the war and Kate takes one look at the dashing Air Force pilot and I’m dog food.”

“Seriously? You tried to ruin my life because I stole your girl five years ago! Pay attention, you bastard! She went home with you. She’s been right here with YOU ever since.”

“Yeah, and I did EVERYTHING for her. I gave her everything she wanted and when she dug herself a hole, I paid the cops to get her out of it. I paid off every drug dealer, every one-night stand so her star could keep shining bright. And what did I get? The newspaper. ‘Oh look Terry, Michael’s in the news again. He’s chasing down monsters for a living, isn’t that exciting?’” He picked up a script from his desk and threw it at Quinn. “This whole stupid TV show was her idea. And so I greased the wheels and kissed every studio ass I could to get it for her and then I see it’s just another way for her to get close to you.”

“And that’s what this was all about? Jealousy? You set me up for a prison sentence because you couldn’t let go? What the hell is wrong with you, man?”

“I was trying to let go! I was trying to get out from under this whole fucking mess.” Terry stood up and searched his desk, sending papers and pencils in every direction until he found a legal looking document. He held it out until Quinn snatched it from his hands.

An insurance policy.

“What am I looking at?”

“My salvation, Mickey. The production is insured. I’m so far in the red my eyeballs are bleeding and the guys I borrowed from to make this show happen, they’ll take flesh if you can’t come up with the cash. But that piece of paper says that I get it all back with a hefty bonus, if the network decides not to pick up the show.”

Quinn couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t swallow. “Not love, but for money?”

“Screw love,” said Terry. “Money makes the world go round.”

Quinn was shaking, torn between walking out and beating the man to a pulp. “Kate tried to kill herself because of your games. You know that, right?”

Terry flopped back down in his chair. “She’s dead.”

“Excuse me?”

“The hospital called just before you got here. She’s gone.”

Quinn flew at him like vulture scooping up its prey. He grabbed Terry by the shirt, busted his lip with a punch then dragged him out of the chair and slammed him up against the wall. “You fucking sack of shit.” He laid his forearm across Terry’s throat and leaned in with all of his muscle.

Gillis didn’t fight him. The only resistance came from the body’s innate desire to suck in air. So he twitched and gasped but didn’t put any effort into fighting him off.

Then two strong arms wrapped around Quinn’s waist, pulling him off Terry. Locked together, the two bodies banged back against the desk chair and then the desk, then Quinn was whirled around and pushed away.

Nick DeFalco.

Quinn was ready to charge forward again but Nick held his ground between him and Terry. “You want to go back to jail? Stand down!”

Quinn couldn’t answer. Couldn’t breathe. He ran his hands through his hair, pulling until it hurt. Then over his face then arms swinging like he had to work the punch out of them.

“Good timing, Nick.” Terry collapsed into his desk chair. “Guy’s got a temper. He was going to kill me.”

“And I would have stood by and applauded except he doesn’t deserve what comes next.” Nick turned back to Quinn. “Get out of here and don’t tell anyone you were ever here.”

“What? Fuck that. Kate’s dead because of him.”

“And he’s going get what’s coming to him.” Nick stepped closer to Quinn, lowered his voice. “You or I lay another hand on him, it’ll be bad for us. He’s got a lot of power in this town, but Sally’s got more. The network isn’t going to cancel the show. No insurance money. No loan payments.” Nick turned to see Terry sinking deeper into the chair. “And no Kate to pacify your lenders with a night in the sack.”

Quinn didn’t even have a word to go with that, just a guttural noise that fell somewhere between disgust and anguish.

Terry forced a harsh laugh. “That’s how you keep your hands clean, Nicky? Making your wife sign my death warrant?”

“If the bad guys don’t get you, the cops will. You know what Kate meant to them. She was their favorite and I’ll make sure they know; you were the one who took her away.”

Nick gave Quinn a little shove toward the door.

“Come on, it’s done.”

“No,” Quinn said, standing his ground. “He should suffer for his part in all of this.”

“And he will. Believe me, Captain. There’s nothing you could do to him that would be worse than what he’s about to face. You’re an honorable man. The crowd he’s beholden to, I’m not sure they even qualify as men. By this time tomorrow, he’s going wish you’d killed him.” This time Nick took Quinn by the arm and led him out the door. “That’s a wrap on Terry Gillis.”

 

#  #  #

They tried to enjoy their last few days in Hollywood, but it was tough. Quinn finally took Joel to the beach. Mimi and Allen had their romantic dinner for two. And the adults went to a funeral on the final day.

They tried to keep it private, but fans and reporters clung to the cemetery gates, some genuinely crushed while others came just for the spectacle.

Sally took it hard. She arrived with a veil over her face and when Quinn lifted it to kiss her cheek, he saw that she hadn’t bothered to cover her scars with makeup. Almost ten years earlier, a man had crushed her when he killed her best friend. And here she was again, burying another.

Quinn held her tight, rocked her gently, his cheek to her temple. Over and over she mumbled that it was her fault. That she should have seen it. Saved Kate from the spiral. He suspected that once he was gone, she’d go back into the shell she’d inhabited after her attack and before the USO.

To Nick he said thanks and take good care of her.

And then they were on a plane going home. The excitement and wonder they’d experienced on the way to California was hard to recall. Mimi chose to sit next to Joel on the flight and she babied him a dozen different ways.

Allen attempted a few conversations starters but Quinn preferred silence as he starred out the window. That’s what it looked like anyway. What he was really doing was flying a fighter in his head. He couldn’t wait to get back in the cockpit. Back into the air on his own terms.

 

Four days later, Quinn was gathering his dirty clothes to take to the laundry. As he always did, he stuck his hands in every pocket in search of items that wouldn’t fare well in the wash; cigarette packs, money, business cards, notes.

He found the envelope with his name on it.

‘Michael’ written in a very shaky, but feminine hand. He’d forgotten about the letter and now it all came back at him in the worst way. He dropped the envelope on to the coffee table, then fixed himself a drink. He settled on the couch, lit a cigarette and let the taste of it take the edge off. He took a few sips of whisky, eyes watching the envelope as if it might attack.

He wasn’t sufficiently buzzed but it was time. Quinn opened the envelope and pulled out a perfume scented, folded piece of stationary.

My Dearest Michael,

You’ll think this is mad, but I’ve never been happier than I was during the war. I had so many adoring fans, I never knew who to trust. People said they cared about me but they all just wanted to hitch a ride with a movie star.  Then you came along, and I felt it. You made me feel safe and wanted and real. You made me laugh and feel and let go in ways I never imagined.

I thought that memory would sustain me but these last few years have been so hard. Then you were the star with your name in the paper and I wanted so badly to see you again. And suddenly you were there, in the club, in my home, in my bed. And for a brief time, I felt alive and in love. I hope heaven means you can hang on to one perfect moment because now that I’ve had it, I’m ready to go.

The next time you take flight, I’ll be there beside you with my own set of wings.

Yours forever in eternity,

Kate

He folded the note, slipped it back into the envelope then held it against his chest as he rubbed his fingers over his brow. Eyes closed. One last thought of her.

Quinn picked up his lighter, opened it and then touched the flame to the corner of the envelope.

He watched it burn until the heat singed his fingers, then he dropped the last bit of it into the ashtray and soon it was gone.

Yours forever in eternity, Michael Quinn.

 

The End

 

 


End file.
